Variability of levee failure mechanisms subject to heavy rainfalls,case studies in Taiwan

In this study, the failure mechanisms for Chiuliao 1st Levee and Gueishan Levee in Taiwan were re-examined comprehensively considering the uncertainty of different parameters. Results have shown that for Chiuliao 1st Levee, the slope sliding failure has a higher coefficient of variation (COV). For Gueishan Levee, retaining wall sliding and overturning failure have higher values of COV instead. It can also be found that the scouring depths affect the stability of the levee significantly, therefore, a protecting system for the backfill material may be necessary to increase the stability of the levee effectively.     

对湖北大洪山地区一套紫红色砂-砾岩系沉积年代的再认识——碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄及其地质意义

湖北大洪山地区花山群六房咀组之上不整合覆盖了一套紫红色砂-砾岩。这套岩石的沉积时代存在争议,一种观点认为是南华纪早期;另一种观点认为是晚侏罗世。利用LA-ICP-MS分析技术,对这套碎屑沉积岩进行了碎屑锆石U-Pb测年,获得有效年龄数据125组,年龄值变化范围较大(3223~771Ma),主要集中于新太古代末—古元古代早期(约2500Ma)、古元古代(约2000Ma)和新元古代(约800Ma)3个时间段。对比鄂东南地区和三峡地区莲沱组岩石学特征和碎屑锆石年龄分布特征,认为其具有相似的物源,这套岩系沉积时代应该为南华纪早期而非晚侏罗世。综合分析扬子地块的前寒武纪年龄,认为扬子地块可能存在大量未岀露的新太古代末—古元古代早期(约2500Ma)基底,约2500Ma的岩石应该是扬子地块深部基底的重要组成部分。扬子地块存在广泛的古元古代(约2000Ma)岩浆活动,这期岩浆活动可能是Columbia超大陆聚合在扬子地块的响应。新元古代(约800Ma)扬子地块北缘存在Rodinia超大陆裂解同期裂谷,裂谷内基性岩可能为大洪山地区南华纪地层中基性岩砾石的物源。     

Strength criterion for cross-anisotropic sand under general stress conditions

By incorporating the fabric effect and Lode’s angle dependence into the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion, a strength criterion for cross-anisotropic sand under general stress conditions was proposed. The obtained criterion has only three material parameters which can be specified by conventional triaxial tests. The formula to calculate the friction angle under any loading direction and intermediate principal stress ratio condition was deduced, and the influence of the degree of the cross-anisotropy was quantified. The friction angles of sand in triaxial, true triaxial, and hollow cylinder torsional shear tests were obtained, and a parametric analysis was used to detect the varying characteristics. The friction angle becomes smaller when the major principal stress changes from perpendicular to parallel to the bedding plane. The loading direction and intermediate principal stress ratio are unrelated in true triaxial tests, and their influences on the friction angle can be well captured by the proposed criterion. In hollow cylinder torsional shear tests with the same internal and external pressures, the loading direction and intermediate principal stress ratio are related. This property results in a lower friction angle in the hollow cylinder torsional shear test than that in the true triaxial test under the same intermediate principal stress ratio condition. By comparing the calculated friction angle with the experimental results under various loading conditions (e.g., triaxial, true triaxial, and hollow cylinder torsional shear test), the proposed criterion was verified to be able to characterize the shear strength of cross-anisotropic sand under general stress conditions.     

Effect of Groundwater Fluctuations on Pore Pressures and Earth Pressures on Coastal Excavation Retaining Walls

Pore water and earth pressures acting on retaining structures are investigated using an efficient coastal double-layered excavation model to determine offshore excavation responses to groundwater fluctuations outside foundation pits. Total pore water pressure includes excess pore water pressure (due to groundwater fluctuations) and steady pore water pressure (due to steady seepage) determined using one-dimensional consolidation theory of double-layered soil and one-dimensional steady-state flow theory, respectively. Rankine's active and passive earth pressures are obtained from pore water pressure. This method is applicable to arbitrary groundwater fluctuation conditions. How physical parameters affect pore water pressure is numerically investigated using examples, demonstrating the method's practicality for calculating pore water and earth pressures.     

Seismic Stability of Gravity Retaining Structures by Pseudo-Dynamic Method

An analytical expression of a gravity retaining wall's seismic stability against sliding and overturning is proposed in this article. The derivation, aiming at the cohesionless soil with inclined backfill surface and nonvertical wall back, is based on limit equilibrium analysis and the pseudo-dynamic method. The variations of the sliding and overturning stability safe factors with the horizontal seismic acceleration are investigated for different seismic amplification factors, soil friction angles, wall friction angles, vertical seismic acceleration coefficients, wall back inclination angles, and backfill surface inclination angles. The results indicate that the soil friction and horizontal seismic action significantly impact the seismic stability. The increase of vertical earthquake action changes the curvature of stability factor curves. The wall friction and back inclination strengthen the gravity retaining wall's resistance to sliding and overturning failure while the backfill surface inclination plays a negative role in the seismic stability. We also found that the seismic stability safe factors calculated by the proposed method are larger but more reasonable than those by the Mononobe-Okabe method.     

Identification and bioinformatics analysis of microRNAs from the sporophyte and gametophyte of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pyropia haitanensis</Emphasis>

Pyropia haitanensis (T. J. Chang et B. F. Zheng) N. Kikuchi et M. Miyata (Porphyra haitanensis) is an economically important genus that is cultured widely in China. P. haitanensis is cultured on a larger scale than Pyropia yezoensis, making up an important part of the total production of cultivated Pyropia in China. However, the majority of molecular mechanisms underlying the physiological processes of P. haitanensis remain unknown. P. haitanensis could utilize inorganic carbon and the sporophytes of P. haitanensis might possess a PCK-type C₄-like carbon-fixation pathway. To identify microRNAs and their probable roles in sporophyte and gametophyte development, we constructed and sequenced small RNA libraries from sporophytes and gametophytes of P. haitanensis. Five microRNAs were identified that shared no sequence homology with known microRNAs. Our results indicated that P. haitanensis might posses a complex sRNA processing system in which the novel microRNAs act as important regulators of the development of different generations of P. haitanensis.